Karate Kid: Legends, directed by Jonathan Entwistle, is yet another example of a movie franchise creating a “legacy sequel” as an attempt to keep its future relevant. But for a franchise that has found a new home and success in the TV space, with properties like the Cobra Kai series, is another film entry really necessary or should this franchise be laid to rest?

Starting with the positives, the action in this movie was very well choreographed and very well shot. While the editing may be a little fast-paced in some of the fight scenes, all of them were coherent and extremely entertaining to watch. The set design also does an excellent job of keeping the locations and tone of each fight unique and exciting.  

I really enjoyed the first hour of this movie. It didn’t fit in with the normal vibe and set up for a Karate Kid film, and that’s what makes it captivating. It tells a story with a very compelling protagonist, Li Fong (played by Ben Wang), as he navigates moving to New York and struggles with his past trauma related to fighting. As Li becomes close with a local pizza shop owner, Victor (played by Joshua Jackson), and his daughter, Mia (played by Sadie Stanley), he begins to fight again to help them out of financial trouble. This is where the movie thrives, it has the perfect amount of heart and humor (mostly due to the chemistry between Jackson and Wang), and it differs itself from the other Karate Kid films. It has a distinct vibe and story to tell that really works for the film and the characters. 

After this, however, the movie falls into the trap of the others in the franchise, and it becomes very formulaic for the latter half of the film. There’s such a distinct storytelling switch-up that makes it feel like two movies being spliced together. The second half of the movie, while not awful, just feels like it loses a lot of the momentum that the first part built up, and it ends in a pretty anti-climatic fashion. This left the film feeling unfinished and uneven, which initially left me confused on my thoughts of the film overall. 

Of course, with this being a legacy sequel, Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan were shoehorned into this movie as anchors to the history of the franchise. But again, I think this movie could be a lot better without them. This movie suffers from what a lot of legacy sequels suffer from, which is banking on nostalgia. As soon as Chan and Macchio got on screen together, you could feel the focus of the movie switching and, in turn, the quality dropping. I would’ve much rather had more screen time with Li Fong and some of the newer characters that actually served the story. 

In the end, I will give this movie a 3 out of 5. It’s entertaining, and the main character is very captivating, but it does have its weaknesses when trying to conform to its predecessors. This movie shines in its uniqueness and leaves me wanting more of the new characters. I would recommend seeing this if you’re a fan of the Karate Kid films because it does have its moments for the fans, but it also has a promising beginning of a future for the franchise, that is, of course,  if they’re willing to let go of some of the old characters.